Make Your Computer Fashionable Too!

Kate Spade sent me an email this morning (no, not her directly, but wouldn't that be nice!) telling me that now I can make my iGoogle page have pretty Kate Spade designs.

Well, I like this idea. I feel all of my life should be wrapped in pretty Kate Spade wrapping paper. If you too share this desire then go here, you'll be glad you did! ;)

Vera Wang Dresses!!

Bluefly.com sent me an email today about Vera Wang Dresses and how they are "Up to 40% Off". I just had to go look as I have this Kate Spade-like obsession with Vera Wang. I don't own any clothing from her, but a friend of mine did give me Vera Wang lingerie when I got married because, as she put it, "every girl needs Vera Wang!" (Thanks K!) I've added an image of one dress that I thought was adorable - plus it's 51% off! Ohhh Ahhh!

So anyways, I headed on over to bluefly to see what they had and it appears that Vera Wang was the headliner of the email but in fact many designers have dresses up to 40% off. Here, see for yourself!

I don't know what it is about Vera Wang but I do love her dresses. I wish I could have had a VW dress at my wedding but oddly enough when it came down to my actual wedding I wasn't as into the whole idea of the dress as I had dreamed I would be. I tried on many dresses at one place and once I found it, I found it. I didn't spend more than $500 and I loved my dress. No label, just a dress that worked well for my body and I was able to add a touch of pink, my favorite color... My friend, Jenny, found the dress for me and when I first looked at it I was like "eh, it's ok". It had this hideous flower on it but she reminded me it could be removed. She insisted I try it on. Thank God she did, because as soon as I did we all said "It's the one!!" One thing I wish I would have done was to go to many places and try on the high end expensive dresses for fun!! I got married in Hawaii, so buying an easy dress was on my mind. I had to carry that sucker on the plane so a big dress would have been a pain. (Sorry, that was such a random tale to tell you all.)

The whole point of this whole post was to share with you the % going on at bluefly... Go shop!!

Kate Spade... Alright Already!

This morning I woke up to not 1 but 4 emails from 4 separate websites about the Kate Spade first semi-annual private sale happening RIGHT NOW!

So rush on over to KateSpade.com and check out the sale! You can save up to 60% and inventory is limited. All sales are final. HURRY!!!

Deal of the century!

Sunday was a beautiful day in Seattle. I actually got a tiny sunburn sitting in my backyard - whoohoo! I had a bridal shower to attend in the afternoon (it was a great time Jen, congrats!). The shower was really lovely, yummy food, great sparkling wine and amazing company!

After the shower I headed to Buffalo Exchange in the U District to try and sell some old clothes. Out with the old in with the new! I dropped off my giant suitcase full of stuff and decided to shop around the store. Thank God I did b/c I found some amazing items!

A few weeks ago at the SPU Sample Sale, the guys from Sameunderneath had mentioned they dropped off some last season items at Buffalo Exchange. I love their stuff and was thrilled to actually find many of the items they dropped off. They still had the original tags on them and have never been worn. Great thing about their clothes, they are classics and don't go out of style. So I bought 5, which were all under $20! Then as I wandered around some more, I found a beautiful pair of green Kate Spade strappy green giraffe print heels for $36. YES, $36!!! Then I found a pair of brand new brown/green Ferragamo Italian leather sandals for $30. Score!!!

I took my items up to the register and put the $82 credit I got for selling my clothes towards my new purchases. Then to my surprise both pairs of shoes were an additional 50% off. $15 Kate Spade shoes - WHAT!? So crazy yet so exciting!! It was a great day!

Kate Spade... and paper or plastic

I can't help myself, I love her! I feel the need to spread the Kate Spade joy to the world... Here is another offer from her majesty, 20% off! :)


Also, on a completely separate note I was reading the Seattle Times online yesterday and saw this article about paper or plastic. Apparently our mayor is pushing for customers to be charged a 20-cent "green fee" per bag used at the checkout line in grocery stores, etc. I get why they are doing that but it seems rather odd that we are basically being forced to be "green."

I was talking to Regina and we both were saying we have the reusable bags but constantly forget them at home. Plus we both reuse those plastic bags for our lunches, to line the trash can, to hold yucky kitty litter, for carrying our wet swimsuits home, etc... I then mentioned that I guess I will just have to try and start now so I'll be in the habit when this happens Jan 1, 2009. Thankfully, 20-cents isn't that much money b/c I know I'll end up forgetting sometimes. What are you thoughts on the matter?

If your looking for some adorable bags to use for your grocery shopping I suggest Marlo's Tote2go bags! She makes amazing bags out of recycled fabrics. They are 2 bags that fold down into a small pouch which makes them oh-so-portable! Viola! They start at $42 and are well worth it!!

Dear Summer, Could you hurry up already?!

Summer isn't to far away... I know we still have to wait from Spring to come and go but mentally I just want to skip it and have Summer be here now! (Living in Seattle this time of year kind of kills that though.)

It's been sunny here but 42 degrees - that doesn't really help with that mental block I was talking about. Hubby and I have decided a trip to Mexico is just what we need!

So, with Mexico looming in my near future it's time to start thinking about swim wear. Never a fun shopping trip but I do enjoy looking online for suits (I think it's b/c you are mentally trying them on versus actually trying them on and seeing all those lovely flaws)...

I got an email from Victoria's Secret today with what else, swim suites!! Check out the cute lobster print one pictured above - I love it!! It's kitschy and cute! It just so happens to match a cute Kate Spade bag I have wanted since last summer... Hmmm, maybe it'll be on sale now and I can be all matchy matchy at the beach.

If lobster prints aren't your thing then make sure to check out the Victoria's Secret website as they have some super cute suits and they are having a sale right now as well! Can't beat that!!

This is what Heaven must look like...

This picture is from a Kate Spade Holiday email that I got today... I wanna lay amongst the shoes and make snow angels. That's all I ask...

Kate Spade Sample Sale - HURRY!

TODAY ONLY!!! Up to 60% off! Go here to check out the sale!

If your looking for more sales in Seattle, Portland or California check out our Urban Fashion Network Sales page! We try and keep the page updated with sales from the West Coast. If you have any sales you'd like added to this page let us know, we'll put it up.

P.S. We definitely need more for California... So come on California, send us your sales! ;)

I don't know about you but when it comes to Holiday shopping I try and seek out the best sales. It's so easy to spend loads of money on gifts so why not actively try and save some this year! That'll just give you extra cash for a well deserved trip when it becomes sunny and warm again.

Also, don't forget to check out local shops in your area - support your local stores and designers! Everyone loves unique items and what better way to satisfy that desire than buying from local designers who tend to make one-of-a-kind or unique items that can't be found at Nordstrom, Macy's, Dillard's or whatever large department store is in your area. Don't get me wrong, I love the large dept store but I have found a fondness for the local boutiques and designers. Plus, you can find reasonably priced pieces and great sales. My thoughts on how I couldn't afford boutiques have been squashed by shops like La Rousse, Bouncing Wall, The Industry, Duque, and many more. (For more shops check out our boutique section).

I love owning something most people won't have. surely I'm not the only person who feels this way... Right?! Happy shopping!

All is right with the world...

I just got an email from Kate Spade and all is right with the world again... No more puffy coat purses, she has upgraded to some sleek patent leather totes. I love them, I want one!! Red please!

Thanks Kate, I have faith again in handbags!

bilbao quintessa
the spanish city of bilbao became a cultural destination in its own right when it was chosen as the site for Frank Gehry's spectacular titanium guggenheim museum. since then, the city has become a hub for contemporary art and design. these handbags reflect the graceful, confident design found in bilbao.

·smooth, soft, patent calfskin trimmed with mirrored metallic cowhide
·short shoulder tote for daytime, work and weekends
·open top
·interior center zip pocket, double slide pockets and zip pocket
·nickel hardware
·custom printed dot on 100% cotton twill lining
·imported
·mirror license plate signature
·14.4"h x 13.3"w x 3.7"d

$595.00 (GULP! Maybe NEXT Christmas... when they go on sale...)

Kate Spade and Vera Wang... Similar?

Random Thought for the Day....

Just got my weekly Kate Spade email and it was about shoes for Fall... These shoes have a similar emblem as the Simply Vera shoes at Kohls... Am I crazy or do they look pretty similar? I've been seeing alot of decorative items on shoes these days - must be a trend. ;)

Come to think of it, Dawn's new Jimmy Choo flats even have an emblem on them...

The moral of the story here is that if you have cute shoes with a large emblem on them you are hip to the trend... and you'll look like you spent some money on your feet... Looking like you spent money is always a little more rewarding to me than actually spending it. Noone has to know... Oh wait, did I just give myself away?! CRAP!!

Sorry to say it Kate, but you're wrong...

If you read my blogs you know I love Kate Spade... always have and always will... However, today I saw something that made me waver just a bit... not much, but enough for me to feel the need to blog about it.

So, I opened my email this morning to find an email from katespade.com that had the subject line "the must-have bag for fall"... I opened it up and my first thought was "Kate spade you are wrong - that is hideous" It looks like some crazy puffy coat made into a bag, a Kate Spade bag none-the-less... Did some crazy person sneak into the Kate Spade factory and take off his ugly coat and decide to make a handbag out of it? Really Kate, this is the must-have bag for Fall? I can't accept that - sorry. I love your work but I must say this one just isn't for me, I need an alternative must-have bag for fall - is there another option, a plan b maybe?

I found a must-have bag for fall I'd rather have. Check out Maya Moon, she is one of the designers on our site and her purses are beautiful. Check them out - they are way better than puffy coat handbags and they are from a hot up and coming designer!

I came across this SUPER COOL site!!

I was searching for some fun fashion sites and I came across this site, Popgloss, somehow... OMG, I am in love with some of the products I see... Check out this AMAZING jewelry from Nectar Jewelry!!! I literally want to buy everything I see... If you are a designer, this is the site you need to get on, they have such an amazing eclectic mix of products... Some of the most unique items I have seen...

Some of the items on the site are so great I just don't know how to explain them. I saw this picnic dress and it's so funny and kitschy that it makes me like it more and more... The dress is made from Reddish from Israel, they created the Buttercup dress from three different food related fabrics. I just think it's so clever!!! It would go perfectly with that cute Kate Spade Cape Cod bag I've secretly been wanting... whoops, guess the cats out of the bag on that one.

This saddens me....

Kate and Andy Spade to Leave Company
Renata Espinosa
July 27th, 2007 @ 2:26 PM - New York

Kate and Andy Spade announced Thursday that they will step down from Kate Spade as head designer and chief executive officer, respectively.

The husband-and-wife team gave personal reasons for leaving the company.

"We have decided to step back from the day-to-day operations of the company and are excited to be part of the Kate Spade board, providing strategic and creative insight moving forward," said the Spades. "This new situation offers us the perfect opportunity to work closely with Bill on the transition, to explore some of our other areas of interest, travel and spend time with our two and a half year old daughter."

Liz Claiborne Inc acquired the company in November 2006 for $124 million with the Spades agreeing to a six-month transition plan that ended in mid-June. They agreed to stay on a few extra weeks until the end of the Spring market season, which ends next week, said Bill McComb, CEO of Liz Claiborne Inc.

The duo founded the company in 1993 along with partners Pamela Bell and Elyce Arons, with a successful, product range of "affordable luxury" that has expanded beyond their popular signature handbags to small leather goods, luggage, baby products and licensing agreements for shoes, eyewear, tabletop and stationery products. There are currently 19 Kate Spade retail stores throughout the country, four outlets and one Jack Spade specialty store.

Source: http://www.fashionwiredaily.com/first_word/fashion/article.weml?id=1279

Kate Spade is a genious, I tell ya what!!

The woman has beautiful items and she must have really talented and smart people who work for her. Every time I get an email from "her", I open it, I look at it and I fall in love with it. The colors are so amazing and well thought out not to mention the imagery is something to get excited about. I want my designs to look as beautiful as her pictures and products, is that to much to ask for?

This was the image I was greeted with today... It just makes me happy to look at it. Am I crazy?

Sales & Email

I get alot of email from online retailers - gotta keep up with trends and that is an easy way to do it...

I decided to list some of the offers I'm getting b/c I do love a bargain!

Victoria's Secret: Free shipping & handeling with code VSSHIP or you can try their pants risk free with free shipping and returns, code NORISK

Macy's.com: One Day Sale today on their website, ends tomorrow!

Neiman Marcus: Private Shopping Event tonight, 30% off - it tells me to check my email at 4pm tonight... Ohhh mysterious! UPDATE: I got the link for the private sale Use code PRIVATE.
Also, Free shipping on any price, code FIRST

Fragments.com: Place your order by 2pm on thursday, use the code MOM and it's guarateed to get there, free of charge, for Mothers Day.

Spiegel.com: One Day Private Dress Sale

Katespade.com: I never see anything like this on her site... 10% off and FREE shipping!! This offer ends tomorrow.

That's all for now... Happy shopping!

Kate Spade, I love you!

I don't buy alot of high end designer items because honestly they seem to be a waste of money most of the time... I can buy so many things for $300 versus 1 dress, ya know. I appreciate nice things, I really do, and now and then it's nice to splurge.

For my 30th b'day my lovely friend Dawn gave me a Kate Spade gift card b/c she knows I have always admired and love Kate Spade yet just won't spend the money. My birthday was in Jan people, it took me 4 months to pick something a finally committ to buying it. It arrived today!! I all but ran to the reception desk where I work to pick up my packade. Thankfully a co-worker who definitelly appreciates such items ran into me in all my joy. She was able to share it with me, which was so much fun!!

I am now the proud owner of a lovely Kate Spade handbag! It's called the lafayette small blue, here is what Kate's site says about it: "just one mile long, new york's lafayette street is a perennially happening stretch that will take you from chinatown, at its base, past busy boutiques and restaurants, then drop you off at one of the city's finest cultural institutions, the new york public theater, before turning into fourth avenue. these soft, modern handbags are the perfect accessory for a stroll around nyc." Ahhh, lovely!!